Installing Competition Engineering Bars

Upgrading a suspension system for race conditions is required when building high-powered drag race cars. When the power produced by the engine causes tire shake and spin at takeoff, it is recommended that a set of Competition Engineering bars, which improve traction, be installed. The installation of Competition Engineering leaf spring ladder bars is easy and can give a poor-performing vehicle a chance to show how fast it can go right from the start.

Things You'll Need

• Competition Engineering leaf spring bars (C2101) Hydraulic jack (2) Jack stands Drill (1/2" drill bit) ½" Drive socket wrench (7/16", 9/16", ½", and 3/8" sockets) ½" Drive torque wrench

Instructions

Competition Engineering Leaf Spring Traction (Ladder) Bars

1. Raise the vehicle using a hydraulic jack and support the vehicle on two vehicle jack stands immediately before the leaf spring front junction bracket. Allow the rear end housing to hang unsupported. Lower the vehicle so that the jack stands support the weight of the vehicle during operation. Do not support a vehicle only on the jack during installation. Be sure to use a properly rated jack stand or wooden block(s) to support the weight of the vehicle while securing the Competition Engineering leaf spring traction bars. Inspect the existing vehicle leaf springs for damage. Replace all damaged leafs springs prior to installing the CE leaf spring traction bars.

2. Disconnect the shock absorber and remove the stock base-plate. If it is necessary to replace the factory U-bolts with the provided Competition Engineering J-bolts, use a grade 8 nut and bolt combination so that the replacement bolt is properly rated for operational driving conditions. These bolts will be used in the front securing holes of the axel housing perch and are varied in length depending on how many leaves make up the leaf spring package of the existing stock leaf spring setup.

3. Prepare the Competition Engineering bar and leaf spring brackets for installation. Drill the J-bracket base plate holes to ½" so that the factory bolts can be secured to the traction bar using the leaf spring axel housing bracket as the securing point for the traction bar. Run the J-bolts over the axel housing and into the leaf spring traction bar using the lock-nuts provided with the Competition engineering traction bars for leaf springs. Secure the rear bolts to 70-feet pounds of pressure. Be sure to have the ½" locking nuts screwed all the way up the front of the J-bolts prior to installing. These will be used to counter-tighten the J-bolts into place. Secure the front of the J-bolt to the traction bar mounting brackets and secure the safety U-bolt around the leaf spring package and into the traction bar. Do not tighten the front J-bolt nuts at this time, only secure them loosely.

4. Choose a shock bracket to fit the newly installed traction bars. If you need to drill out the shock mounting bracket to fit, then do so according to the size of the bolt used to secure the shock through the bracket. Check to see if any stock mounting brackets for the shock come in contact with any parts of the new leaf spring ladder bars from Competition Engineering. It is all right to cut away any brackets or tabs that are not going to be used with this new traction setup.

5. Customize the Competition Engineering ladder bars snubber so that it equals the factory height of the distance from rear bumper to the spot on the rear leaf springs it would normally touch under stock driving conditions. The traction bar snubber will take the load from the rear end first. The snubber must be at a correct size so that the load is taken on by the traction bars, rather than the old leaf spring load point. Competition Engineering traction bars are made to alter the way the vehicle accepts and transfers the load of operation during race conditions. Once all the measurements and adjustments have been made, tighten the from J-bolt nuts to 70-feet pounds of pressure, and the front safety bracket to 50-feet pounds. Lower the vehicle and check that the load is being dispersed at the proper angles. Test and tune the equipment at the track using the same tools to loosen and adjust the brackets and bolts so that the angle of the traction bar creates the optimum environment for load transfer.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a type of lock tight fluid when securing nuts and bolts of a Competition Engineering leaf spring traction bar(s). This eliminates the chance of nuts and bolts from becoming loose and possibly disengaging during competition.

• Never work under a vehicle that is supported only by a hydraulic or mechanical jack. To prevent injury, use the proper tools and equipment is safe ways to avoid serious injuries and improper installation environments, which produce a low quality of result.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Competition Engineering Traction (Ladder) Bars